Houston attorney who represents Anthony Graves disbarred

Updated 2:36 pm, Thursday, March 27, 2014

Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle

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Exonerated Texas death row inmate Anthony Graves recently filed a grievance against his prosecuting attorney, Former District Attorney Charles Sebesta. On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in Houston, Graves announced the beginning of an investigation by the State Bar of Texas. less

Exonerated Texas death row inmate Anthony Graves recently filed a grievance against his prosecuting attorney, Former District Attorney Charles Sebesta. On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, in Houston, Graves announced ... more

Photo: Marie D. De Jesús, Houston Chronicle

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Exonerated death row inmate Anthony Graves uses a tablet computer to file a grievance against former Burleson County District Attorney Charles Sebesta on Monday at Texas Southern University.

Exonerated death row inmate Anthony Graves uses a tablet computer to file a grievance against former Burleson County District Attorney Charles Sebesta on Monday at Texas Southern University.

Photo: Marie D. De Jesus, Staff

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Anthony Graves on the campus at St. Thomas University in Houston June, 2012.

Anthony Graves on the campus at St. Thomas University in Houston June, 2012.

Photo: Billy Smith II, Chronicle

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Anthony Graves speaks to media at the SHAPE Center's Harambee Building in Houston, Tx, Sunday, June 26, 2011. Graves reflected on his life as a free man after being freed from jail after serving 18 years for a crime he didn't commit. (Billy Smith II/ Houston Chronicle) less

Anthony Graves speaks to media at the SHAPE Center's Harambee Building in Houston, Tx, Sunday, June 26, 2011. Graves reflected on his life as a free man after being freed from jail after serving 18 years for a ... more

Photo: Billy Smith II

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An exonerated Anthony Graves speaks at a news conference Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010, in Houston. Graves spent 18 years behind bars for the 1992 murders of a Somerville, Texas family.

An exonerated Anthony Graves speaks at a news conference Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010, in Houston. Graves spent 18 years behind bars for the 1992 murders of a Somerville, Texas family.

Photo: Pat Sullivan, AP

Houston attorney who represents Anthony Graves disbarred

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Robert S. Bennett, the attorney representing exonerated death row inmate Anthony Graves, has been disbarred after a fee dispute with another client, according to court records.

A specially assigned judge held a three-day trial in a Harris County courtroom last week before siding with representatives of the State Bar of Texas who said Bennett violated rules of professional conduct.

State District Judge Carmen Kelsey found that Bennett kept money from a $50,000 retainer that he did not earn and strung out litigation by repeatedly trying to appeal a final judgment.

In court, Bennett denied the allegations. Neither he nor his attorney returned calls for comment.

The judge ordered Bennett to return $27,500 to Gary Land, a former client. Another judge has ruled that Bennett pay $26,000 for his attorney's expenses, said Land's attorney Nick Oweyssi.

The order, signed Friday, also immediately prohibits Bennett from the practice of law. He is expected to appeal the ruling.

Bennett had been representing Graves, an exonerated Texas death row inmate who has filed a state bar grievance asking the state bar to discipline the prosecutor who wrongfully convicted him of capital murder.

Graves said Wednesday that he supports Bennett and believes the lawyer will win his appeal.